Modern Witnesses: Christians in the CAR

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When our Sunday School teacher told us this morning that she wanted us to pray for Christians in the C-A-R, I thought she meant she wanted us to pray when we were going somewhere. But that’s not what she meant at all (though praying for people while you’re traveling somewhere is a good idea, too).

She said that CAR stood for the Central African Republic. I had never heard of it before, but she showed it to us on a map. The Central African Republic (CAR), is a French-speaking country in the middle of Africa. It’s a small country, just a little bit smaller than the state of Texas, and it is a very poor country—one of the poorest in all of Africa.

It also has had a very rough history of different people and groups fighting for control of the country. That’s what is happening right now, and that is why we need to remember to pray for the Christians in the CAR. The country’s president, President Francois Bozizé, has been in control of the country for about ten years. But several groups of people, especially some of the groups in the northern part of the country, have been unhappy with the way the president is doing things. The groups got together, named themselves Séléka, and started taking over the country. Some of them have better weapons than the military has.

Séléka started attacking people and destroying homes, churches, and businesses. When the group first started their rebellion, they told people they wouldn’t hurt anyone because of their faith. But so far, Christians have been attacked an awful lot, while people who believe the religion that is popular in the northern part of the country, where Séléka is from, haven’t been touched.

Christians in the CAR are very scared. The water and the electricity in the capital have both been shut off, so they are living in homes without light or running water. Also in the capital, a jail was attacked and all of the prisoners were set free, so people don’t know what they will do.

Please pray that God’s peace will reign in all of the hearts in the CAR and that things will work out the way they are supposed to for the country and all of its people. Pray that the people who are hurting Christians will come to understand that Jesus died and rose again, and that He loves every one of them. And please pray that God will be with the Christians, make them strong, and keep them safe.

“Dear God, thank You for showing us how much You love every person by sending Your Son Jesus to earth to die on the cross for my sins and everybody’s sins. Thank You that because You are God, death couldn’t keep Jesus in the grave, and that Jesus is alive now in Heaven forever. Help the people in the Central African Republic, and all over the world, who don’t know about Jesus’ love to know You and trust You. And please work things out in the CAR the way that is best. Please keep everyone safe. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.”

The facts of this story are based on World Watch Monitor news articles published on March 27, 2013.

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